Chapter 61: Two Cards

Vito's revenge didn't cause much of a commotion in Chicago.

After all, the victims were nothing more than a small-time dock boss and a handful of his enforcers. Such individuals, while thugs on the lower rungs of society, didn't even qualify as legitimate gangsters. Their deaths barely made a ripple, and with a little money throw around, the police labeled the case a simple gang-related conflict in their reports.

And just like that, the matter was closed.

The very next day, Vito officially became part of Josh's bodyguard team.

The only thing that puzzled him was the mandatory medical exam required for the job. During the examination, he felt as if an unusual amount of blood was being drawn from him.

But any doubts were quickly dispelled when he learned that his monthly salary would be an astounding $200.

To put that in perspective, his pay as a soldier barely exceeded $100 as paratroopers received an extra $50 as a special allowance. Now his income had doubled, and the job was relatively stress-free. Josh wasn't the type to make unreasonable demands, and the bodyguards worked in shifts. Aside from regular military training, they enjoyed a comfortable routine.

It didn't take long for Vito to adjust to the new lifestyle and even grow fond of it.

Then came the news - a message informing him to prepare for a trip with Josh to Los Angeles, specifically Hollywood.

The mere mention of Hollywood filled Vito with excitement. Who wouldn't be tempted by the lure of Tinseltown?

"Damn it, old man! How could you even think of that?" Josh scoffed, staring at a folder containing a profile of a young woman. The photo showed a face that was all too familiar to him. He stared at the man sitting across the desk-Lyndon Schneider.

Although the profile listed the girl's name as Angela Filley, Josh instantly recognized her face. In his past life, this girl had been none other than Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe.

But after meeting the Audrey Hepburn look-alike, Josh wasn't so shocked at the sight of Angela. Monroe's type wasn't even his preference.

What did draw his ire toward Lyndon Schneider was the girl's age of 18. According to Lyndon, he had been supporting her since the previous year, meaning Angela was only 17 when they started.

And how old was Lyndon? The man was in his fifties, a full generation older than Josh's own father. It was textbook "old bull eating young grass".

"Heh, that's nothing. This girl has been with this old geezer, Emery. She's been with him for over two years. Compared to him, what I'm doing is mild," Lyndon replied with a lecherous grin.

Josh was silent. If Lyndon's claims were true, Angela had been with Emery since she was 15 or 16. The old lawyer Emery, who had died by suicide, was even more shameless.

It turned out that Angela had been Emery's lover before his death. When Lyndon saw her during his dealings with Emery, he became infatuated. After Emery's death, Lyndon, now financially flush thanks to his partnership with Josh, sought out Angela.

Angela, it seemed, was not the self-reliant type. Lacking survival skills, she had lived entirely on Emery's support. After his death, with little money left, she had even considered working in a brothel.

So when Lyndon approached her and flashed his wealth, she clung to him without hesitation.

"Damn this damned money-driven society. When I'm older, I'll have a couple of young mistresses, too," Josh thought bitterly.

"Fine, I understand. Take her with you," Josh said, tossing the file back to Lyndon.

The reason Lyndon presented Angela's information to Josh was simple - he wanted to find a place for her in the movie industry now that Josh was taking over two movie studios.

This suggestion, however, gave Josh an idea.

No doubt, with some proper grooming, Angela could easily make waves in the industry. She might not achieve the same worldwide fame as the Marilyn Monroe of Josh's former life, but she could still become a notable star.

Monroe's rise to superstardom had much to do with the support of the two Kennedy brothers. Ironically, her downfall was also tied to them.

In this world, Josh didn't have the same level of influence as the Kennedys. The Kennedy patriarch was a major figure in Boston's financial elite, a former high-ranking government official, and a wealthy magnate. His sons had all risen to high ranks in the military and were poised for political success.

Josh, on the other hand, was a relative newcomer to wealth and influence.

Of course, in the long run, the Kennedys posed no real threat to Josh. History showed that they all met a grim end - both John and Robert Kennedy would eventually die by assassination.

As Josh pondered, a thought occurred to him: If Angela was his "Marilyn Monroe," could he also bring Sabrina, his "Audrey Hepburn," into the fold?

And what about his rich sister Margaret? No, that wouldn't be necessary.

Wait, who else could he recruit from that era? Elizabeth Taylor, perhaps?

In Josh's original world, Taylor was already a child star. But in this alternate timeline, Josh had never heard of her. She didn't seem to exist here.

No matter. With "Monroe" and "Hepburn" as his opening cards, Josh was off to an excellent start.

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